States » SouthPosted at: Oct 4 2026 8:59PM


Vijayendra woos BJP rebels ahead of November showdown

Bengaluru, Oct 4 (UNI) With November fast approaching, Karnataka BJP president Vijayendra Yediyurappa appears to be making a late bid to win over rebels who had spent the past year demanding his removal, as the leadership question threatens to trigger a wider organisational reshuffle in the State unit.
Vijayendra's term as state BJP president ends in November, and the possibility of a change has kept the party's internal politics on the boil. The rebels, who had mounted sustained pressure on the central leadership for a new president, have now largely gone quiet, apparently preferring to wait for the leadership decision rather than make fresh public statements.
The irony is that Vijayendra, who was at the centre of their criticism, has in recent weeks begun taking up several of the issues raised by the dissidents and speaking in support of party workers and leaders who had opposed him.
He has also sought to project himself as a voice for the party's concerns on issues such as the Nagendra controversy and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, while defending rebel leaders when they came under attack from Congress leaders.
The strategy is being seen within the party as an attempt to neutralise opposition before the central leadership decides whether to extend his tenure.
The rebels, however, are understood to have told each other that they do not need Vijayendra to speak on their behalf and can articulate their own concerns. Having fought for a change in leadership for nearly one-and-a-half years, they are now waiting for November.
The central leadership too faces a difficult choice. While retaining Vijayendra would provide continuity, his continuation could reinforce the perception that the party's Karnataka unit remains under the influence of the B S Yediyurappa family.
Replacing him, on the other hand, could risk a backlash among his supporters and revive memories of the political fallout following Yediyurappa's exit as Chief Minister.
The appointment of Harish Dvivedi as Karnataka in-charge, without completing some other key organisational appointments, has further fuelled speculation that the state president's issue could be settled first, followed by a broader reshuffle.
The leadership question has also exposed differences over appointments at the district level. Rebels have alleged that Vijayendra favoured his own camp while selecting district presidents.
In Chikkaballapur, objections reportedly led to the proposed appointment being put on hold after BJP leaders took up the issue with the central leadership.
Among those who have openly or indirectly opposed Vijayendra are Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, Aravind Limbavali and Ramesh Jarkiholi, besides leaders such as Kumar Bangarappa, Pratap Simha and G M Siddeshwar.
Yatnal has already been expelled from the party for six years. With the leadership decision drawing closer, Vijayendra could seek to win over a section of the dissident camp and turn the confrontation into a negotiated settlement.
But the rebels and the neutral camp are understood to remain firm on the need for a change. The outcome in November could therefore determine not just Vijayendra's political future in the BJP, but also the composition of the party's Karnataka organisation ahead of the 2028 Assembly election.
UNI BDN
Tags: #Vijayendra woos BJP rebels ahead of November showdown
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